"We're almost there." He said as they walked past another street of the huge town, the palace in his view now. They couldn't ride the horse together entering the town market as it was filled with people who love gossiping. "I have an image to hold", was what he had said. So they had started walking instead.
He was taking steady and large steps holding his horse, while she walked with careful and slow steps behind him. He stopped and tilted his head to look at her, as she walked with slumped shoulders, her head hung low, quite at a distance. She was indeed a very slow person, he hated such people.
Why don't you runaway, stupid.
He didn't realize when and why did this thought crossed his mind, he must've lost it. It's his mission! He had to go through so much to finally find her and now he's thinking such crap.
I don't care whatever happens to her now. I'll just enjoy my freedom.
They reached the gates as the soldiers respectfully nodded at Qasymbek taking his horse in their care. Bara stood by the gate, fiddling with her dupatta. This is the palace. Will they lock me up in here too? Her wandering thoughts were cut off as Qasymbek whistled grabbing her attention from far ahead. "Ab aa bhi jao! I'm tired." He yawned under the veil, his eyes shrinking.
I have him with me. She followed him staring at his back, trusting him for her well-being once again after the night. This was the first time she relied on someone other than Wafaa. He relaxed his neck muscles and arms walking ahead, sighing. "Chasing a billi isn't an easy task, indeed."
Bara's eyes roamed around scanning every corner of the large place to find the familiar face. She is not here. Her worried eyes landed on another familiar figure infront of her.
"Suno?" She whispered feeling embarrassed at all the gazes of the cabinet members on her right now. "Sunao?" He turned around folding his arms. She so wanted to slap the attitude out of him, he's so annoying sometimes.
"Wo kahan hai?" She asked carefully, not knowing what to call Wafaa, since he knew her as Bara, right?
"Wo, kon?" He rocked his hand while mocking her changing his tone.
"Wo, jisko tum pehle le kar aye the na." She said annoyed. The cabinet started pointing at them whispering to each other. "They seem to be very close to just have met."
Qasymbek cleared his throat taking a step back from her. He obviously didn't know where the fake girl would be, he just arrived at the palace with her right now. Was she dumb or what? Thinking about it, she was also a part of the lie for not saying the truth to him. He again stepped closer to her.
"Naam?" He asked as Bara grew nervous again. "Naam hai usska. Wo keh kar bulati ho tum ussy?"
Bara refused to make eye contact with him, staring at the ground. "Acha tumhara naam kiya hai? Come to think of it, I never asked." He impatiently questioned again, her silence was annoying, making him mad. She still isn't saying the truth. He clenched his fist when she chose to remain silent until the end.
"The King has arrived." The announcement broke the tension between them as he turned back around and took a step forward.
Greeting the king when he settled on the throne, Qasymbek moved his hand in her direction. "I've completed my mission."
She stared at his hand, confused at his words. "I'll take my leave then." He turned around, glancing at her one last time, quickly breaking the eye contact passing by her side, however, he stopped when he felt a tug at his sleeve. Tilting his face to look at his sleeve in between her clenched fingers, he shut his eyes. This girl requires a lot of care, indeed a princess.
Her eyes begged him not to leave, so he stayed. Clearing his throat, he stood a few steps away from her in the corner, her eyes only on him to make sure he was there. Mujhy ghoorna band kare gi yeh ya yahin lait jaun mein?
"So young lady." The king begin, as she flinched looking ahead. "What is your name?"
She gulped hard, fiddling with the ends of her dupatta almost tearing it apart with the force. "M-my n-name...." She couldn't keep her eyes still, nor stand still, her toes curling up and down. "Say the truth. Just say it." He spoke in small whispers, feeling himself getting nervous at her state.
She looked him in the eyes. "Bara Hani M-michelle. It's m-me." She said it. The silence didn't last long this time as the cabinet started the gossiping again.
"You're the only daughter of the King of Dearth. The princess belongs to the palace of her kingdom. What are you doing here living secretly in my peaceful land?" The king spoke with anger this time as Bara took a step back, and fell on her knees.
"I don't want to go back. Please don't send me to the palace. I beg you, your highness. I-I just...want to live...in peace. I will...live like a dead person but just don't send me back..... I will....I-" She couldn't complete her sentence as she continued crying with hiccups, her hands joint together, her tears falling, nose flowing.
The same strong scent, she had grown attachment to reached her senses, as the pair of two hands held her arms helping her stand up. She unconsciously again grabbed onto his sleeve for support. The king had cascaded down his throne, reaching the petite crying girl.
"Nobody is sending you back. If you want to stay in my land, you're most welcome, Princess Bara. You will be my guest now." The king spoke his words with softness now, placing a hand over her head as she stared at him in complete shock. He really was the just and kind-hearted king as she had heard.
"Prepare a room for the Princess and let her rest." He ordered one of the workers. "You may rest and let the maids know if you want anything. I will meet you at dinner and introduce the royal family to you. Welcome to the palace." The king smiled at her leaving as she still stood in shock and disbelief.
"Stop crying now, 'princess'!" He said in a teasing way trying to lift her mood up. "Pinch me." She shook his arm with the sleeve she was still holding onto tightly. "What?" He asked but she still looked shocked and in a daze. "Yaad rakhna, you asked for it." He pursed his lips, pinching on her hand which was on his arm as she winced retreating it away from him quickly. The crying shocked face turned into a frown, while the covered face was amused again. Her emotions change with every passing minute.
"Allah, Wafaa! Mujhe Wafaa ke paas jana hai. Ussko bhi King ne aise hi kisi room mein guest rakha ho ga na? How can he be so sweet! Mujhe tou abhi bhi yakeen nai a raha, he..he treated me like a princess." She hadn't felt so relieved in her life as she felt now after going through so much emotional mess of ugly thoughts. "And he-"
"Mujhy bhi yakeen nai a raha, yeh bheegi billi kahin ki princess hai." He cut her off rolling his eyes. Qussay came in at the moment as Bara stepped behind Qasymbek as a reflex.
"You're back." He spoke in his usual serious voice as Bara peeked at him. "As you can see, your brother had to go through the worst nightmare of his life chasing a cat!" Qasymbek fake cried until that turned real due to the furious pinch on his arm from behind. "uff!"
"Ask him, Wafaa kidher hai?" She quickly changed the topic nudging him to ask Qussay.
"Udher." He pointed at the door's direction as Bara popped her head towards the direction immediately. "Kidher?"
"Idher." He pointed at the other door in the corner as Bara dumbly followed popping her head in his finger's direction again. "Kidher?" She almost whined this time, confused. He laughed out loud, jumping away from her towards Qussay and smacking his arm. "Pagli."
Bara realized he was again making fun of her. She was slow in understanding such stuff or in any work she did, while he was quick-witted and fast in every task he performed. Complete opposites they were.
"Tum ab mujh se baat mat karna! Na hi mere saamne ana! Kaala kawwa!" She fumed in anger as she pushed past them walking outside the door they had entered from before. Qussay's eyes caught a side glimpse of Qasymbek, whose eyes threw daggers her way, he hated being called by any names. She did not just call him kaala kawwa.
"I don't care! I want you to take me to Wafaa! I won't go to my room, until and unless you bring her to me. Wafaa!" She kept talking loudly to the soldier and the maid who had come to take her to her room. She was trying to shout, but the maximum her voice could reach was the talking level of the maid.
She took a promise from the soldier who said he'll go bring the girl to her room so she should follow the maid there. The palace was huge as her big brown eyes roamed around scrutinizing the interior, impressed. She could easily lose her way here. She had never even taken a tour of her own palace back in Dearth. Thankfully, this palace had a completely different and new interior, which did not remind her of the painful memories.
"Wafaa! Tum tou bohut bewafa nikli." Bara folded her arms, plopping herself on the bed after she had hugged the life out of Wafa and checked up to see if she was fine. Now it was time for the attitude, anger and pampering. Wafaa, who was still confused but grateful that Bara was fine, shook her head.
"No Bara. You know I did it to protect you. But....what happened?" Wafaa got pulled down on the bed by Bara as she started narrating the whole story to her like a child does to his parent after the first day of school, without missing any detail.
"You did what?"
"He what?"
"Mery Allah, sach mein?"
"Kya?"
"Phir?"
"TUMNE? SACHI?"
"Oh."
"Wah, so proud of you!"
"The king said so?"
Wafa's reactions got more and more enthusiastic as the story kept progressing. She had never seen Bara this excited and happy while explaining about herself. "And you know, the king called me a princess. He also lovingly patted my head. It felt good.....and fatherly." She was smiling bright, her eyes shining to have felt this new feeling.
Wafaa wrapped her arms around her, as Bara embraced her back. "I'm so glad we're okay. Maybe, we found the right place for us. We'll be safe here. We don't need to hide anymore, or be scared of anything."
"Yes, you're right. The king is very kind-hearted. He won't do anything cruel. And he's also here you know, um, I mean-"
"Of course I know what you mean." Wafaa teased Bara. "I haven't ever seen you talk about someone so brightly. You felt safe with him around hun? So you've found your safe place now, Princess Bara." Wafa tickled her as Bara blushed slapping her hands away.
The two girls giggled in the room, listening to each others stories about when they weren't together, and for the first time, there was no fear deep inside their hearts of being found out or sent back.
On the other hand, one of the brothers' worked on cutting the wood still sulking as the other sat in his usual hidden spot, weeping silently, with a plum in his hand.
A/n: The king is so kind bro, or is he ? �� to me he's sus ngl :)
also i love my gurls sm ����
y'all find a Wafaa to your Bara or stay friend-less! ��
Also yeh last line likhne ka koi maqsad nai tha mera pata hai mujhe :')
𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚊𝚊..!𝙰𝚂𝚂𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙼𝚄𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙸𝙺𝚄𝙼 𝙱𝙴𝙷𝙽𝙾 𝙰𝚄𝚁 𝚄𝙽𝙺𝙴 𝙱𝙷𝙰𝙸𝚈𝙾....;)
𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚂𝙴 𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚁𝚂 𝙰𝚁𝙴 𝚆𝙾𝚁𝙺𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙳 𝚃𝙾 𝙱𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶 𝙹𝙾𝚈 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙴𝙽𝚃𝙴𝚁𝚃𝙰𝙸𝙽𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃 𝚃𝙾 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝙶𝚄𝚈𝚂.
𝚂𝙾 𝙼𝙰𝙺𝙴 𝚂𝚄𝚁𝙴 𝚈𝙾𝚄 𝚂𝙿𝙰𝙼 𝚃𝙷𝙴 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙸𝙵𝙸𝙲𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽𝚂 𝚆𝙸𝚃𝙷 𝚅𝙾𝚃𝙴𝚂 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙲𝙾𝙼𝙼𝙴𝙽𝚃𝚂. ~𝙽𝚄𝙶𝙶𝙴𝚃